Argentina led the warmup match against Los Catrachos when Messi fell to the pitch after a hard hit. The player was taken to a local hospital for further tests.

Argentina's 1-0 win against Honduras could have gone unnoticed to some, but Lionel Messi's back injury had most of the world of football eager to know what went down.

The Argentinean ace left the pitch 12 minutes after the second half started, following a hard knock on his lower back. Defender Jorge Claros was unable to avoid contact with "La Pulga", and he ended up hitting the superstar with his right knee.

Messi tried to return to the pitch, trying to walk the pain off and even trying some warmup exercises, but reporters close to Barcelona's superstar claimed to hear the player "screaming in pain" moments before he asked to be subbed off.

Watch: Messi leaves the pitch with what appears to be a lower back injury.

The first battery of tests revealed that the player's lower left back and rib cage were damaged. Further tests will determine the extent of the injury and his availability for the team's upcoming games.